The present disclosure describes a universal bicycle rack that universally holds all different kinds of bicycles. More specifically, the present disclosure teaches a bicycle rack that is configured to hold a portion of a seat of said bicycle.
Bicycle racks that attach to the rear of a vehicle are known. One such system, which attaches to a trailer hitch, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,231. This system mounts to the trailer hitch of the automobile. Most of these prior art bicycle racks are either hitch-mounted to or strapped onto the vehicle using either a support beam or support arms.
Certain prior art bicycle racks include arms to hold a bicycle. Tubes that form the bicycle frame typically rest on the arms of the rack.
These bicycle racks work well with traditional bicycle frames. However some new bicycles, often called xe2x80x9cfull suspensionxe2x80x9d bicycles, may not have the same main tube frames as traditional bicycles. Some bicycles may have no frames at all.
Accordingly, conventional bicycle carriers do not work well with bicycles that have non-traditional frames.
The present system defines a bicycle carrier that does not rely on traditional bicycle frames for holding the bicycle and instead holds the bicycle by elements that are common to all bicycles, including non-frame bicycles.
According to this aspect, one such element common to almost all bicycles is the seat post. Although the post diameter and angle may vary, the post is generally cylindrical and its location in relation to the bicycle""s overall geometry is consistent.
Another consistent point is the bicycle wheels. Hence, one embodiment of this invention uses the bicycle seat post and wheels to hold the bicycle on the carrier.